Baseball Headline

A complete game six hitter by pitcher Justin Hoyman lifted the University of Florida baseball team (27-12-1, 7-9-1 SEC) to a 4-3 victory over Georgia (19-19, 4-13 SEC) in game two of a three game set Saturday. The two teams will play the rubber game on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. ET

Hoyman went the distance as he gave up six singles and just three runs (one earned) with three walks and seven strikeouts in improving to 6-3 on the season. Hoyman retired the final 10 batters in order and did not allow a base runner to advance to third in the final six innings.

Florida pushed two runs across including the winning run in the sixth. Florida loaded the bases with no outs in the inning. Brandon Moorhead walked Ben Harrison to lead off the inning and then was pulled after 5.0 innings of work. Moorhead took a no decision as he gave up four hits and three runs (all earned) with two walks and four strikeouts.

Another walk to Jonathan Tucker and a bunt single by Brett Dowdy set the table for the two-run inning. A fielder’s choice RBI by Jeff Corsaletti tied the game and Smith gave the Gators the needed 4-3 advantage with his single through the left side of the infield.

Matt Woods took the loss on the mound as he came on for Moorhead. Woods went 0.2 innings and gave up two hits and a run.

Florida had eight hits in the game including doubles by Corsaletti and Lee Roberson. Dowdy also went 3-for-4 to raise his team leading batting average to .393.

The Bulldogs would score single runs in each of the first three innings, but just one of those was earned. In the first a walk to leadoff batter Jasha Balcom and an error put runners at the corners. A sacrifice fly by Lee Mitchell scored Balcom for the first run of the game. A caught stealing and a strikeout by Hoyman then ended any further damage.

The Gators took their first lead of the series with a pair of runs in the second. After an out, Corsaletti went the other way with a double to left. A walk to C.J. Smith put two runners aboard for Roberson who scored both with a line drive double down the left field line.

The Florida lead was short lived as an RBI single by Justin Holmes scored Marshall Szabo in the bottom of the inning. Szabo had earlier singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. In the third Georgia used a pair of Gator errors to push their third run across and take a 3-2 lead. Mitchell would single and advance to second on a misplayed ball in the outfield. An infield single by Jon Armitage was fielded but an errant throw allowed Mitchell to cross the plate all the way from second.

NOTES

Catcher Brian Rose threw out his sixth base runner attempting to steal this season. Rose has thrown out 50 would be base stealers in his career.

Florida turned their 17th inning ending double play in the third.

Brett Dowdy singled in the first extending his consecutive games reaching base to all 40 Gator contests.

Pitcher Justin Hoyman went eight or more innings for the fourth time in his last five starts.